The home of photojournalism

I’ll see you on the far post

19 Nov 09

We are the Maesglas boysWe aint got not money,We drinks lots of beer,We drink Double Diamond ‘cos it’s full of good cheer.When you’re walking down Maesglas Road,doors and windows open wide,Then you’ll hear ol’Sheppy shout,Get your fuckin’ woodbines out!We are the Maesglas boys(Local song of Maesglas, South Wales)

Historically, socially and culturally the working man has been seen as a figure of strength and integrity; a foreboding presence both in the family and the community. These images are about what men do with their time, be it with their family, friends or alone. They are about working and not working. Work is not guaranteed for these men, it is transient and insecure. These images also offer a portrait of a small estate in Newport, South Wales. They look at the ideals of family, friendship, kinship and the intimacies and relationships which are formed in a close knit community. They also look at the changing domestic role of the male within the family, as the roles clash and men re-negotiate their lives and relationships after the prospect of industrial stability has waned. They are about the in between times, time spent in the company of other men. They’re about killing time; or time killing us.